Influence of Enol Ether Amino Acids, Inhibitors of Ethylene Biosynthesis, on Aminoacyl Transfer RNA Synthetases and Protein Synthesis

The analogs of rhizobitoxine, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) (l-2-amino-4-2'-aminoethoxy-trans-3 butenoic acid) and methoxyvinylglycine (MVG) (l-2-amino-4-methoxy-trans-3-butenoic acid), that are potent inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis at 0.1 millimolar also inhibited protein synthesis and charging of tRNA especially at 1 millimolar and higher concentrations. The saturated analog of MVG inhibited ethylene synthesis while the saturated analog of AVG did not. Both saturated AVG and MVG inhibit methionyl- and leucyl-amino acyl-tRNA synthetase. Because of the inhibition of amino acid metabolism in plant tissues by these rhizobitoxine analogs caution is advised in interpreting the results obtained with concentrations of compounds above 0.1 millimolar.